4 - Friday, October 29, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com E-MAIL CAMERON AT CNEVEU@UMICH.EDU ~JbE 1JICd14gan 4Ia4~l 4 4 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu CAMERON NEVEU | k'. JACOB SMILOVITZ EDITOR IN CHIEF RACHEL VAN GILDER EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR MATT AARONSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. Hieftje for mayor Incumbent has experience, progressive initiatives t's easy for citizens to forget about city elections. But in the shadow of the race for the governor's office, two Ann Arbor residents are squaring off to be the city's mayor for the next two years. Incumbent Mayor John Hieftje faces opposition from challenger Steve Bean, an independent. The outcome of the race will influence how the city approaches environmentally-friendly initia- tives and improving public transit - things that students should care about and will affect their everyday lives. Students must head to the polls on Tuesday to cast their vote for Ann Arbor's next mayor. 1,%. fj 0 i Listen to be heard Hieftje has been mayor for 10years. In that time, he has served Ann Arbor well. Under his supervision, Ann'Arbor has installed LEDlights throughout the city; increased the number of bike lanes and is in the process of adding more; the city government now oper- ates on20 percent renewable energy and the city has won several awards for its environ- mental programs. In 2007, he was appointed to the Michigan Climate Action Council by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Hieftje plans to continue to work with the University on con- struction of the Fuller Road Transportation Center, which he believes will one day serve as a central hub for commuters moving both within the city and across the state. Steven Bean is the independent chal- lenging Hieftje. He has served on a variety of city commissions - he spent nine years on the city's Energy Commission. He's also served as the sustainability community chair and is a member of the solid waste committee and the transportation com- mittee. He currently serves at the chair of the Environmental Commission, of which he's been a member since 2000. He aims to increase the city's use of renewable ener- gy. He argues that the city can be more aggressive in its use of renewable energy. He would like to educate the city on the nuances of peak oil. Bean is also interested in working with the Ann Arbor Transporta- tion Authority to increase the frequency of buses and how late the buses run. In many ways, Hieftje and Bean are much alike. Both candidates seem open to increasing student involvement in city government. They encourage students to get involved with committees and commis- sions. Hieftje, who also teaches at the Ford School of Public Policy, has even appointed some students to city committees. Both candidates also place special empha- sis on moving forward with the city's green initiatives, and both haveyears of experience in pushing for green initiatives. They'd both like to continue to push DTE, the energy company that owns many of the city's street- lights, to install LED lights. But Bean says that the city must make a strong commitment to environmental ini- tiatives. He argues that the approval of the 5-storey underground parking lot on South Fifth Avenue wasn't compatible with the city's supposed desire to decrease the num- ber of cars in the city. And perhaps he's right. But Hieftje's dedication to going green is not in question: His years of pushing for green initiatives and his success on so many of them from bike lanes to lights to recycling are evidence of his passion for environmen- tally-friendly initiatives. Aside from his work with green initiatives, Bean seems to lack knowledge of what the city can do to make Ann Arbor more appeal- ing to young professionals. Hieftje, on the other hand, wants to encourage more art programs that will draw young profession- als into the city. And he supports increasing housing downtown that young people would be interested in moving into. Though Bean clearly has a passion for the environment and there is a place for him in city government, he lacks Hieftje's breadth and depth of knowledge about city issues. Hieftje seems more willing to work to create a city culture that will draw in young pro- fessionals. Hieftje is also more well-versed in urban planning and supports housing developments downtown that would offer students more (and hopefully cheaper) hous- ing options. Because of his experience and proven progress on green initiatives, the Daily endorses JOHN HIEFTJE for mayor. nOct. 20, two members of the Israeli Defense Force spoke on campus about Israel's role in the Middle East. This event was sponsored by StandWithUs, an edu- cational group that works to "ensure Israel's side of the story is told..." according to the group's website. A few minutes into the presentation, members of the audience stood up and removed their TYLER jackets, revealing JONES red t-shirts with signs taped onto their chests. On these signs were names of dead Gazan children, the date of their death and the word "Silenced" underneath. It is safe to say that at this point the two IDF presenters recognized the hostility in the audience. But their presentation continued. After a few minutes, the t-shirt-clad protes- tors stood again and walked from the room. As they moved to the door, one of the soldiers requested the group stay and ask questions. With the exception of a few confused audience members and the two IDF soldiers, the room was left practically empty. I suppose if the goal of the pro- test was to draw shock and awe, the demonstration was a success. But the issues plaguing Arab-Israeli relations today demand more serious action than shock and awe. Dramatics will not solve problems..If real progress is to be made between Arabs and Israe- lis, understanding must be a priority - an ideal apparently lost on the Oct. 20 protestors. These demonstrators marched out of the IDF presentation to protest Israel's actions during Operation Cast Lead, a military offensive carried out on December 27, 2008 to combat rocket attacks from Hamas in Gaza. According to Amnesty International, about 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the assault, as well as 14 Israelis. Regardless of the side you support, it is safe to say neither is truly innocent in this conflict. To bring light to the protest, a video was taken of the event and uploaded to the Internet. In the video, we see a speaker facing a round of applause at the end of the demonstration as he commends the participants because they "left the room empty," and sent "a really big message." But both Arabs and Israelis have lost children in this conflict. Both sides have fallen asleep to the sounds of exploding mortar rounds. Homes are destroyed and children die when opposing sides fail to discuss and listen. This is no time to send big messages with dramatic walkouts - both Arabs and Israelis have tried for too long to communicate with high explosives and ammunition. If there is one thing this conflict has enough of it is big messages. Ahmad Hasan, one of the student protest coordinators, explained to me in an e-mail interview that the protestors "did not agree that mem- bers of a military whose actions have been so overwhelmingly condemned by respected and reputable organi- zations should even be welcomed on our campus." But if any substantial progress is to be made regarding this deep-seated conflict, dialogue is necessary. We can't close the doors of campus to those who hold a controversial view. Until the two sides can acknowledge differences, accept past errors and work to achieve a common good, there will be no peace. If we turn away an individual or an organiza- tion simply because they are in the opposition, the conflict will remain the same. In the e-mail interview, Hasan went on to explain, "For me to stay and simply pose questions would be dishonoring and unjust to the silenced innocent who were, in the end, never given the chance to ask a single question." I certainly empathize with the protestors who only sought to do what they thought was right. But this issue is not about honoring the dead or holding firm to past injustices. If tomorrow one Palestinian child still has to fear bombings or one Israeli family must second-guess their trip to the town market, the protest was a failure. Society must stand to support a cause in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. Had the dem- onstrators stayed, asked legitimate questions and created a dialogue, per- haps progress toward understanding and resolution could have begun. Understanding is about Staying in the room. This is not about supporting Israel or condemning the IDF - in the 62 years of Israel's existence, both sides have accumulated blood on their hands. More than sending a mes- sage through dramatics or illustrat- ing to the other side just how little you value their views, enemies must talk. Understanding is about staying in the room, even if your opponent's words make your blood boil and your fists clench. It's about staying in your seat and listening to what the other side has to say.-Movements of activ- ism are simply not enough to enact change - protest accompanied by plans of action, dialogue and discus- sion is how we will save lives. What the protestors need to understand is that discussion - no matter how dif- ficult - is the only way to give your movement a voice. - TylerJones can be reached at tylerlj@umich.edu. 01 Vote Hohnke, Derezinski EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali, Jordan Birnholtz, Adrianna Bojrab, Will Butler, Eaghan Davis, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Will Grundler, Jeremy Levy, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Tommaso Pavone, Leah Potkin, Asa Smith, Laura Veith long with a contested mayoral elec- tion, voters in Ann Arbor will vote to fill City Council seats on Nov. 2. The City Council is made up of two representa- tives from each of its five wards. The candi- dates for Wards 1, 3 and 4 run unopposed. The seats in Wards 2 and 5 are contested. here are three candidates vying for the Ward 5 seat: Independent New- combe Clark, incumbent Democrat Carsten Hohnke and Republican John Floyd. Floyd is the only Republican in Ann Arbor to throw his hat in the ring for this year's city council election - and this isn't his first campaign. The city is overwhelm- ingly Democratic and City Council is entirely comprised of Democrats. A Repub- lican candidate offers a nice challenge to the city's status quo. But Floyd's views of students concerns and Ann Arbor appear convoluted and out of touch. It seems that Floyd would like to freeze the city as it was half a century ago - an Ann Arbor that doesn't serve today's stu- dents' needs. He doesn't support downtown housing developments. It seems he would rather leave dealing with students exclu- sively to the University. But students are a huge economic contributor to this city, and the city must consider their needs. Clark, a 29-year-old real estate developer who is currently pursuing an MBA from the Ross School of Business, has solid and specific proposals on increasing student involvement in Ann Arbor policy-making and student safety. A member of the city's Downtown Development Authority, Clark believes in making downtown an inexpen- sive place for students and graduates to live. In an effort to model the kind of commit- ment the city and state should show to the arts, Clark intends to donate his salary to charities supporting the arts if he is elected. Clark has promised to not seek re-election. And while many of his ideas are promising, it's uncertain if two years is enough to see them to fruition. Incumbent candidate Carsten Hohnke is seeking re-election because of his desire to serve his community. As the owner of a local spa and fitness center, he has man- agement and budgetary experience. In his last term, he sat on the Greenbelt Advisory Commission and worked to expand Ann Arbor's recycling program and institute single-stream recycling that has already led to an increase in recycling. He also favors downtown development to increase the supply of student housing. He doesn't have Clark's youth and idealism, but he has shown that he can get things done, and has goals to continue reducing how much the city puts in landfills. During his tenure as a councilmember, Hohnke has produced results. And though Clark is an idealist, it seems unlikely that he could live up to Hohnke's reputation of getting things done in only two years. In Ward 5, the Daily endorses CARSTEN HOHNKE. his year's candidates for Ward 2 are Democratic incumbent Tony Der- ezinski and challenger Emily Sal- vette, a Libertarian. Salvette, the chair of the Libertarian Party of Michigan, intends to focus on fiscal responsibility. She doesn't favor increasing taxes, and she has proposed paycuts for city council members in the hopes of helping to maintain the budget. She also recognizes that the only way to decrease the cost of rent around campus is to increase the sup- ply of housing, and doesn't support height caps that often place a stumbling block in the way of development. Despite this, she doesn't seem tuned in to what students need and want - including a safe, well-lit city. Derezinksi is probably the city's most experienced council member. He's spent years serving at various levels of govern- ment, from a stint in the Michigan legisla- ture to several years on the city council. In order to find a way to balance the city bud- get, he is interested in considering a city income tax so that individuals who com- mute to the city to work contribute to fund- ing the services they use. He's specifically interested in continuing the city's push for more bike lanes. He'd also be open to re- evaluating the current layout of the ward system, which separates the student vote and makes it difficult for students to make their voices heard. Derezinski understands that making the city accommodating to developers is crucial to decrease the cost of rent - though he supports what he calls "reasonable" height caps. After serving in the legislature and spe- cializing in law practice for many years, Derezinski has the experience necessary to be successful. Derezinski's understandingof Ann Arbor and students' needs is encourag- ing, and Salvette just can't compete. In Ward 2, the Daily endorses TONY DEREZINSKI. STUDENTS ALLIED FOR FREEDOM AND EQUALITY I Silence speaks loudly In an effort to contain growing outrage over Israel's overt disregard of international law and human rights, the Israeli military has launched a PR campaign that sends its former soldiers to the U.S. to speak about their personal experienc- es. Last Wednesday, Ann Arbor bore the dubious honor of providing the platform for a military with a history of war crimes to rationalize its actions. At 4 p.m., students, faculty and community members seated themselves in the room of the Michigan Union in which the two Israeli soldiers would speak. At 4:05, when the first soldier began his narrative, the room was full to capacity. As the first soldier, Omer, started speaking, nearly all of the event's attendees stood up, taped their mouths shut and revealed red shirts bearing the names and ages of chil- dren killed during the Gaza invasion. Omer continued giv- ing his presentation to a sea of red-garbed, silent protestors and went on to claim that Israel goes out of its way to avoid targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure when engag- ing in counter-terrorism. He spoke of how proud he was to have served in an army with a moral code that preserves human life. About 15 minutes into Omer's speech, the pro- testors stood up in unison and filed out in silence. As they walked out, two students held up signs that read: "We stand today for those who have been silenced" and "Stand with us against injustice and walk out on oppression." Several of the remaining attendees also rose and left. By 4:20 the roomwas nearly empty, with only about eight people still seated. The events' attendees were protesting the presence of representatives from Israel's military, called the Israel Defense Forces, who are accused of war crimes by the Unit- ed Nations and condemned by major human rights orga- nizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Israel's own B'Tselem. Last year, Israel caused outrage with its aerial bombardment and armed invasion of the impoverished Gaza Strip in 22 days during December 2008 and January 2009, killing over 1,000 civilians includ- ing more than 300 children. In the three-week war, Israel destroyed nearly the entire civilian infrastructure in Gaza - even attacking hospitals and ambulances - despite the fact that medicalvehicles, personnel and buildings are protected under international law. in addition, Israel's military shelled the U.N. Relief Agency's compound in Gaza City, which stored and distributed aid and medicine. According to a U.N. fact-finding inquiry, the Gaza cam- paign intended to destroy the civilian economic output of the Strip and exacerbate the suffering of a populace that has already endured by Israel. This siege continues to block basic supplies from entering Gaza, and has brought the local economy to a near standstill. The siege is condemned by both the U.N. and leading international human rights orga- nizations as illegal because it engages in collective punish- ment and uses starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. In May 2010, Israeli Special Forces stormed a humani- tarian flotilla heading for Gaza while it was still in inter- national waters. The flotilla was carrying aid including medical and school supplies, aiming to break the siege of Gaza and to bring the world's attention to the dispropor- tionate suffering of Palestinian civilians. The flotilla was crewed by over 600 activists from 37 nations, including a Nobel Laureate and a Holocaust survivor. The Israeli mili- tary went on to kill nine activists aboard the flotilla and injure dozens more. In an effort to contain the international fallout from Israel's actions, the Israeli government has launched what is essentially an international propaganda campaign. This campaign attempts to shift attention away from recent events by focusing on Israel's technological and biomedical achievements, its humanitarian aid to other countries and a framing of the attack on the flotilla and Gaza invasion in terms of'self-defense.' Ann Arbor was the latest stop in this rebranding cam- paign. Moreover, the soldiers present on Wednesday weren't merely representatives of a military that has committed war crimes, they themselves could be traced back to the violence. The organizing group StandWithUs described the second soldier present on Wednesday, Shai, as a member of the "elite Givati infantry brigade." This bri- gade was investigated by the Israeli Military Police for an airstrike during the Gaza invasion that targeted a civilian home, killing 21 civilians - including some women and children - and wounding 19 more. On Wednesday, the silence spoke clearly: the justifica- tion of atrocities will not be welcomed at Michigan. Simi- larly, the international community's continued outrage with Israel's government signifies the approach of a day when the audience willing to listen to its self-exonerations will also disappear. This viewpoint was written by Waleed Farwana and Mike Sayre on behalf of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality.